Torpedo-signal for railways



(No Model) T. G. PALMER.

TORPEDO SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

No. 285,920. Patented Oct. 2, 1888..

disk c, or lantern.

llnirnn Smarts Paritar- .@rricn.

TIMOTHY G. PALMER, -OF SCHULTZVILLE, NEW YORK.

TORPEDO-SIGNAL FOR RlLWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,920, dated October 2, 1883.

Application tiled April 2, 1883. (No model.) l

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Tino'rriv G. PALMER,

stopped when the main track is not in a condition for use.

at night. Many instances have occurred where accidents have taken place or been scarcely avoided by the signal not having been noticed This danger-signal is usually a red ilag or disk in daytime and a red lantern by a careless or sleepy engineer, or one whose attention has been otherwisemomentarily aty tracted.

Torpedoes have been placed upon.

the track in many instances, but they usually require personal handling to put them in place or to remove them.

My present invention is for the purposei of providing an automatic torpedo-signal and combining therewith a visual signal, so that when the ordinary visual danger-signal is displayed a torpedo will be automatically placed I in position to be acted upon by the wheels of a passing engine or car and attract the attention of the engineer or conductor by the noise ofthe explosion.

In the drawings, Figure lis an elevation illustrating one of the modes in which the visual and detonating signals are combined. Fig. 2 is across-section ofthe torpedo-carrier. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 4t a plan of the same.

The ordinary visual signal is usually co1nposed of a post, e, with arm or arms I) and The manner of operating this and the character of the signal itselfl will vary according to the place, and I remark that my improvement may be combined with any visual signal, the signal shown being merely introduced for thepurpose of illustration.

It is usual to place the visual signal at sufficient distance from the switch or draw for the traiirto be stopped after passing that sigv the bridge or switch te the signal-pest, and to use levers or a chain passing around a-pulley to connect the longitudinal rod with the vertical rod leading to the signal-armsrlhcse parts may be of any desired character. I have shown the Vertical rod d to the signal-arms as connected to the bent lever j', andlrom this a rod, c, passes to the torpedo-slide g, so thai-.as the danger-signal is displayed the torpedoslide g is moved up against the side of the track, and as the danger-signal is removed the torpedo-slide is drawn back, the object being to place a torpedo inthe path of the wheels while the' danger-signal is displayed and to withdraw the same as soon as the danger is over.

I will now proceed to describe the auto- -matic torpedo apparatus itself.

The base l: is made with aiiange, so that it can be spiked upon a cross-tie or base-block7 and the end of this base 7c abuts against the outer side of the track-rail Z. The top of this base is made as a dovetail or ribbed support, upon which the torpedo-slide g can be moved back and forth 1`reely. It is preferable that either the top part of the base le or the under part of the torpedosslide be made of brass, so that the parts cannot rust together. The end of the torpedo-slide is made to iit the side of the rail-head, so that the slide, when in the danger position, will be close up against the `outer side of the rail. In the torpedo-slide there is a recess in the top surface, close to the end, of a size adapted to contain an ordinary railway-torpedo, so that this torpedo is brought up automatically at the side of the track, and so close to the rail that the tread el" the wheels, being wider than the rail, will press upon such torpedo and explode the saine and give the detonating railway danger-signal. Then the torpedo-slide is drawn back, the torpedo is out of the way and will not. be eX- ploded. j I employ a cap orhood, that incloses the torpedo-slide and torpedo when drawn back, so that the same is not liable to become misplaced or injured. This hood should be set closely over the parts, and may be removable' and provided with a lock to hold it iirmly when in place.

If a magazine of torpedoes is used, it is necessary to add to the foregoing devices an automatic mechanism for discharging the spent shell. I have represented a magazine for such Ioo torpedoes at p, the same being above thetor Will be drawn back beneath the pile of torpedoes at each movement that removes the dangersignal, but if thertorpedo has been exploded or removed, a freshtorpedo will drop'into the recess in the top of the torpedo-slide when drawn back.

Any suitable mechanism may be used for ejecting the spent shell; but I prefer to groove the under side of the slide g and to employ a spring, a, that is attached to one end within the groove to the under side of the torpedo-slide, and the other end has an ejector-point, s, that passes up through a hole in the bottom of the torpedo-cavity. A hanging trigger, t, with a finger, `o, at the upper end, is pivoted close under the torpedo. Upon the top ofthe base k there is a hook, fu, passing over the spring r, at one edge, so that asthe torpedo slide and spring are drawn back, the hook will draw down the bent portion of said spring, together with the. ejector s and the trigger t, which will swing back v overthe end of the spring and hold the same down. The parts Will ymove back and `forth in this position as often as desired Without Vthe ejector being operated, so long as the torpedo is not-fired; but if it is exploded, the pressure of thepsame upon the finger of the trigger unlatches the spring, so that it is free to project the ejector seup under the torpedocase and throw the same out. It is, however, preferable to hold the spring down until the torpedo-slide begins to draw back, because the spring might fly up and the ejector strike the torpedo while the wheel was pressing on such torpedo, and there would not be the necessary force remaining in the spring to eject the case. To effect this object, I make use of a second hook, c, upon the base k, which hook is above one edge ofthe spring o, andvprevents it rising until the slide has been drawn back sufficiently for the end of, the spring to draw away from under the hook and allow the spring to act upon the ejector. The further movement of the torpedo-slide causes the spring to be drawn down by the back hook as the spring is moved along below the said hook c.

It Will be evident that this torpedo-signal might be used alone without the visual signal, if desired.

I claim as my invention- 1. The slide g, recessed on its under side and havinga recess lfor the torpedo at the en d of its upper surface, in combination with thespring r, Within the under recess, and attached to the slide g, the trigger t,.with the linger o at the upper end, and the ejector s, substantially as setforth.

2. The base k and slide g, in combination with the inclosingcase, the magazine p, a spring-ejector, a trigger to hold the springejector out of action until the torpedo has been exploded, and lmeans for moving the slide, and for liberating the ejector, substantially as set forth.

3. The base le, the slide g, adapted to be moved back and forth, and having a recess for the torpedo, in combination With a springejector beneath the slide, and a trigger to hold such ejector out of action until the .torpedo has been exploded, and the hooks fue', acting upon the spring of the ejector, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 28th day of March, A. D. 1883.

y T. c. PALMER. Vitnesses:

GEO. T. PINGKNEY, WILLIAM G. Morr. 

